memeorandum: NBC wimped out over “pimped out.” (Ann Althouse/Althouse)

12:30 PM ET, February 9, 2008

Top Items:

Ann Althouse / Althouse:

NBC wimped out over “pimped out.” — David Shuster said — about Chelsea Clinton — “Doesn't it seem like she's being pimped out in some weird sort of way?” — Now, MSNBC has suspended him, after pressure from the Clinton campaign: … Really, how bad is it to say “pimped out”?

Discussion: SFGate and skippy the bush kangaroo

Howard Kurtz / Washington Post:

Chelsea Remark Earns MSNBC Correspondent A Suspension — In case there was any doubt, using a prostitution metaphor for the daughter of a presidential candidate is not a good career move. — MSNBC suspended correspondent David Shuster yesterday for an undetermined period for making a disparaging on-air remark about Chelsea Clinton.

Discussion: Captain's Quarters and Outside The Beltway

Michael Calderone / The Politico:
Reporter initially defended Chelsea comment

Discussion: Neptunus Lex, FishBowlDC, TVNewser, The Page, Gateway Pundit, Associated Press and Media Matters for America

Will / Attytood:
The worst thing that's ever been said about Chelsea Clinton

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Liberal Values, The New Republic, TPM Election Central, Feministing and NewsBusters.org

Digby / Hullabaloo:
Here We Go Again — I have taken a fair amount of grief …

Discussion: SteveAudio, Media Matters for America, Jules Crittenden, The Huffington Post, The Garlic, Daily Kos, Wake up America, Pandagon, Eschaton and TalkLeft

Ariel Alexovich / The Caucus:

Paul Concedes Race, Sort Of — In a message to supporters sent just before 11 p.m. Friday night, Representative Ron Paul, a long-shot G.O.P. candidate from Texas, basically conceded that he's not going to win the party's nomination. — That said, he's scaling back his campaign — but not entirely.

Discussion: DownWithTyranny!, The Carpetbagger Report, The Moderate Voice and A Blog For All

Jonathan Martin / Jonathan Martin's Blogs:

Ron Paul pivots to his reelection — Ron Paul appears to have had a Dennis Kucinich moment. — Just as the liberal Ohio congressman realized last month that his long-shot presidential campaign was imperiling his prospects for keeping his House seat, Paul appears to be choosing the comfort …

Serge F. Kovaleski / New York Times:

Friends Say Drugs Played Only Bit Part for Obama — Nearly three decades ago, Barack Obama stood out on the small campus of Occidental College in Los Angeles for his eloquence, intellect and activism against apartheid in South Africa. But Mr. Obama, then known as Barry, also joined in the party scene.

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blogs, the talking dog, The Carpetbagger Report, The Reaction, MSNBC and Reason Magazine

Jc Reindl / Toledo Blade:

Mayor to Marines: Leave downtown — He says urban exercises scare people — A company of Marine Corps Reservists received a cold send-off from downtown Toledo yesterday by order of Mayor Carty Finkbeiner. — The 200 members of Company A, 1st Battalion, 24th Marines, based in Grand Rapids …

Discussion: Pajamas Media, The Corner, BLACKFIVE, BizzyBlog, Atlas Shrugs, Little Green Footballs and Instapundit.com

Michael D. Shear / The Trail:

Fred Thompson Backs McCain — Fred Thompson, the one-time Republican presidential candidate, endorsed Sen. John McCain Friday, calling on the party to “close ranks” behind the presumed nominee. — “This is no longer about past preferences or differences.

Discussion: Captain's Quarters, Sister Toldjah, Fausta's blog, Flopping Aces, American Spectator, Outside The Beltway, Hot Air, Hotline On Call, Pajamas Media, SunHerald.com, Wake up America, Macsmind and The Huffington Post

Michelle Malkin:
Fred Thompson says fall in line

Discussion: The Jawa Report and Hot Air

Amanda Carpenter / Townhall.com:

Coulter Speaks to CPAC — Best-selling author and columnist Ann Coulter elaborated to Conservative Political Action Conference participants why she said she would campaign for Democrat Hillary Clinton for president over Republican John McCain. — “She won't want to be the first girl President …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice

AJStrata / The Strata-Sphere:

Hannity's Afternoon Meltdown — Boy, oh boy. Something is happening with the ‘true’ conservatives on AM Talk Radio. I tuned into Hannity see what had happened today and the guy just went off on what can only be described as a lick-spittle tirade! Apparently Rich Galen wrote a piece today …

Discussion: RADAMISTO, News Hounds and Middle Earth Journal

Rich Galen / Townhall.com: Rush, Sean, and Laura

Dan Balz / Washington Post:

Sanctioned States Put Democrats in Quandary — The clever people in Michigan who decided to get into a game of chicken with New Hampshire last fall over the timing of their Democratic primary should be having second thoughts this weekend. — Had Michigan Democrats not engaged in gamesmanship …

Discussion: Captain's Quarters, New York Times, Wake up America, Los Angeles Times, Blue Crab Boulevard, Jules Crittenden and Right Voices

Associated Press:
Michigan Dems allocate delegates to Clinton, uncommitted

Discussion: The Caucus, Open Left and Taylor Marsh

William Kristol / Weekly Standard:

Good News for Conservatives — We have a great opportunity in 2008. — What a moment! Having learned nothing from the left's Bush Derangement Syndrome, the conservative movement's big talkers spent the days before Super Tuesday indulging in a fiery display of McCain Derangement Syndrome.

Discussion: The Corner

Colin Powell / CNN:

Colin Powell may support Democrat or Independent in '08 — WASHINGTON (CNN) - Former Secretary of State Colin Powell, a Republican who served under President Bush, said Friday he may not back the GOP presidential nominee in November, telling CNN that “I am keeping my options open at the moment.”

Discussion: The Swamp and Los Angeles Times

Gabriel Schoenfeld / Weekly Standard:

Not Every Leak Is Fit to Print — Why have federal prosecutors subpoenaed a New York Times reporter? — Investigations of national-security leaks in Washington are not all that rare. But until Judith Miller of the New York Times was sent to jail for 85 days by a special prosecutor digging …

Discussion: Power Line

Jill Miller Zimon / The Moderate Voice:

Superdelegate issue produces threats of quitting Democratic party — Donna Brazile was quoted as saying, “If 795 of my colleagues decide this election, I will quit the Democratic Party. I feel very strongly about this,” Brazile said. — And Chris Bowers of Open Left wrote this post …

Discussion: Open Left and QandO

Jim Acosta / CNN:
Democrats dreading a drawn-out, costly battle for nomination

Discussion: michellemalkin.com, You Decide 08! and ABCNEWS

New York Times:

Washington Is the Contest du Jour — TACOMA, Wash. — Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama crisscrossed Washington State on Friday, drawing standing-room-only crowds as they campaigned only miles apart on the eve of Saturday's Democratic caucuses.

Discussion: The Politico, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Booman Tribune and MSNBC

David Ammons / Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
Gregoire endorses Obama for president

Discussion: Donklephant

Libby Spencer / The Newshoggers:

When — not if — martial law is declared — I've taken a lot of criticism over the last year about my speculation that our government is preparing to declare martial law. Unfortunately, it looks like I'll get the last laugh, only it's no laughing matter and it's a lot bigger than just Blackwater.

Tapscott's Copy Desk:

Will President McCain enforce or expand McCain-Feingold regulation of political speech to bloggers? — George Will delivered a powerful argument at last night's CPAC banquet on behalf of conservatives sucking it up and being “happy warriors” on behalf of John McCain and the Republican presidential ticket.

Mark Silva / The Swamp:

Huckabee-McCain: A ticket made in marriage — Mike Huckabee, calling politics a blood sport that only the brave can stand, declared again here today that he will stand to the finish. — Have people called on him to withdraw from the Republican race for president, now that Sen. John McCain …

Discussion: Jonathan Martin's Blogs

MSNBC:

Deep Background: Where is al-Qaida's American? — Where is accused terrorist Adam Gadahn? — That's what Taliban sources along the Afghan-Pakistan border are wondering about the American-born al-Qaida member. Gadahn, known as Azzam al-Ameriki (Azzam the American), joined al-Qaida in 2003 …

Discussion: A Blog For All, JammieWearingFool, The Long War Journal, PoliGazette, Hot Air and Gateway Pundit